The Enfield Historical Society’s bylaws specify that the organization is run by a board of directors: three officers, president, treasurer, and secretary, and not less than four but not more than ten directors at large. Current members of the board:
Officers
President – Shannon Esslinger
Shannon is a third generation Enfield resident who grew up in Thompsonville, and attended Enfield High School. She enlisted in the United States Coast Guard where she was stationed in South Portland Maine at Sector Northern New England as a ship engineer and lighthouse maintenance in the Aids to Navigation Team before attending and completing culinary school at TRACEN Petaluma CA. After service she attended Southern Maine Community College and later transferred to the University of Southern Maine where she studied both history and technical theater. After returning to Enfield, Shannon worked for a decade behind the scenes in Connecticut theater, from community theater here in Enfield, to productions at regional theaters such as Long Wharf, Hartford Stage, and for Yale School of Drama and Opera.
When she has free time she assists veterans in filing and appealing VA claims, but also enjoys historical re-enactments through the Society for Creative Anachronists for over 25 years, where she continues learning about historical food and medicinal herbs/tinctures, her favorite is sekanjabin, an ancient Persian recipe. She also enjoys riding her horse, practicing circus arts, archery, cooking, fishing, making crafts, and singing karaoke. She currently resides in Enfield with her bearded dragon Puck, dog Barkley, and her quarter horse Arlo. You can usually find her elbow deep in any project at any given time in any of our museums, and occasionally flipping through Martha Parsons’s journals.
Treasurer – Tara Hebert
Tara Hebert grew up in the Enfield Street School cache of town and graduated from Enfield High in 2000. She has always had a love of history, and finds local history to be particularly rewarding. While she enjoys the many different tasks working with the Historical Society brings, her favorites include posting Today in History (of the Thompsonville Press) on our Facebook, as well as transcribing documents in our collection, and delving into the far history of our school system, and is our main person you will meet when visiting the Wallop School.
Secretary – Tina Demers
Directors at Large
Renee Baillargeon
My name is Renee Baillargeon, and I am proud to have grown up in Thompsonville. My great-grandparents and grandparents all worked at Bigelow at some point during their careers, giving me a deep personal connection to the area and its rich history.
I have always had a passion for genealogy and a strong desire to understand where I come from. That interest, along with my love for the community, inspired me to become involved with the historical society.
Today, I am a Reading Specialist at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, where I support students and foster a love of learning. I am excited to bring my passion for our community and its history to the historical society and to help preserve and share Enfield’s history for generations to come.
Susan Bigelow
Susan Bigelow serves as the society’s librarian and archivist. She has a B.A. in English from Connecticut College, and a Master’s of Library Science from Simmons College. Originally from Newington, she has lived in Enfield for the past 26 years. She is obsessed with local history, and currently works at the State Library in Hartford. Susan can be found at the Old Town Hall buried in old documents.
John Gwozdz
My name is John Gwozdz. I was born in 1953 and grew up in Thompsonville. My grandparents were Polish immigrants and my father’s parents worked at the Bigelow. I attended the school of my church: St Adalbert’s, class of 1967, and later was part of the Enfield High School Class of 1971. In 1975 I received at degree in history from Central Connecticut State University. Shortly afterwards, I responded to a calling to the Catholic priesthood and attended St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore. I was ordained in 1986 and spent the next 38 years serving in various parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford. I entered retirement in 2024 but still help at churches as needed.
I joined the Historical Society in 1975 to volunteer in the restoration of the Old Town Hall. Part of my work involved promoting the project by making presentations to town officials and local organizations. I constructed a detailed model of the Old Town Hall which was displayed at various locations. I served as president of the Society in 1980-81. In 1990 I published a history of St Adalbert Church.
I always had an interest in local history because it was part of my life. I’m glad that the current membership is continuing the work of the Society with enthusiasm. Enfield’s past has a bright future!
Delia Hickey
James Malley